Patients who are intubated with an endotracheal (ET) tube are typically intubated to facilitate mechanical ventilation but are also associated with an increase in morbidity. Because ET tubes generally utilize an inflatable balloon between the tube and the walls of the trachea to prevent aspiration or passage of fluids and debris into the trachea, small pools of pathogen-containing secretions may pool in the sub-glottic space. Small channels sometimes develop between the balloon walls and the walls of the trachea through which debris and subglottic secretions pass into the lower respiratory tract.
Prior devices have attempted to clear or prevent the aspiration of the debris and secretions such as endotracheal tubes which drain the fluid via suction; however, such devices may require intermittent suctioning and further require specialized ET tubes. Other previous devices have utilized balloon cuff designs which have varying configurations yet such devices require the purchase and use of these specific ET tubes. These devices utilizing ET tubes require their use at the time of intubation and indiscriminately across all patients which make them prohibitively expensive for many medical facilities.
Additional prior devices have utilized the infusion or introduction of obstructing materials such as gels, foams, polymers, etc. in the sub-glottic space in proximity to the inflatable ET balloon or in place of the balloon itself. However, such materials may present difficulty in removal from the patient's airway and may also present the possibility of inadvertent aspiration itself.
Accordingly, there exists a need for devices and methods which allow for rapid deployment into a patient and which may also be used in con unction with conventional ET tubes which are already in wide use.